


Rhodopis / Karma and Sacrifice

by HOMOGRIMOIRE



Series: 11 Nightmares [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Abuse, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Cinder Fall & Rhodes, RIP, Rhodes Backstory!, Rhodes-centric, Yeah this is not a very happy story, also there is minor Tyrian backstory, even as a little gremlin kid he's a trigger warning, hence the OCs, his first murders are why this is rated Explicit, so Rhodes is gonna die, they're not too too important, which should be a given all things considered, you have no idea how much research I did, you will soon though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:41:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28404174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HOMOGRIMOIRE/pseuds/HOMOGRIMOIRE
Summary: The life of one Rhodes Horakhty-Surya, from child slavery, to traumatic experiences, to love and school, to more trauma, and then his attempt at helping a poor little girl and his subsequent death.
Relationships: Cinder Fall & Rhodes, Rhodes (RWBY)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: 11 Nightmares [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2080320





	Rhodopis / Karma and Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of 11 stories that will kinda tie into another story I'm working on, and takes inspiration from the NieR 15 Nightmares and Arrange Tracks. But this story can certainly stand alone. Anyways, for this fic, I took inspiration from Emil / Piano ver. This track is a piano version of the Karma and Sacrifice versions of Emil's themes. Karma is an interesting concept, having multiple interpretations and varying levels of importance in the religions its relevant in. But at its core, its about actions having consequences, and maintaining a balance / equalibrium between them. Everything that happens to us is the result of a past action, depending on the interpretation. Bad actions get you bad consequences, good actions get you good consequences. Things get fuzzy when it comes to determining what exactly is good and bad, and if something bad happening to someone is the result of a bad action in a past life and should thus be allowed, if that is a part of the interpretation. Sacrifice is easy enough to understand. It's also a RWBY song, as I'm sure you know, that slaps. It has some parts that fit surprisingly well with Cinder and Rhodes, especially in this story. Also, why is Remnant's orphanage system to messed up? Oz??? Where're your priorities????? askfjdlkfhs.

Rhodes. Just Rhodes. No last name of his own, except for the one all the other children technically had: Hamelin. Very few of the children considered it their own name. It was just the last name of the guy who ran the orphanage, though none of the children there have ever seen him. At least, not that he’s heard of. As the newest and meekest of the children, they just pick in him and don’t interact with him otherwise.

It’s only when he gets adopted does he finally get a reprieve from the other children and the terrible caretaker. He was always hungry, and always scared of the rude person. She was not afraid to punish anyone who disobeyed her. So, at first, he is very happy to be in this new place called Vale. The place is more agreeable to him than Vacuo. 

Although, he soon comes to learn that he was “adopted,” rather than adopted. He, and a few others, were more house servants than anything else. Granted, where he slept now wasn’t as cold, he was eating more, even if he was still hungry, and the man who “adopted” him was still less cruel than the caretaker.

However, he was capable of cruelties that the caretaker of the orphanage was not capable of. If a child escaped, there was little she would do. But, most of them came back, hungrier than before, and then beaten. When a boy named Ace, whom Rhodes had become friends with and had a crush on, had tried to escape, he was brought back against his own will. Thereafter, he was treated more poorly than the rest of them were, got less food, and was beaten more frequently. He told Rhodes his story, that he managed on his own for a few days, but was captured by a woman and a man wielding great weapons, and was then promptly brought back. He told them he didn’t want to go back, that he was being treated poorly, but they ignored him.

From then on, they knew that just trying to escape wasn’t a good idea. A second kid had tried to leave about two years after that. She was gone for a much longer time than Ace. But, she too was brought back. She got it even worse than Ace. She had told Ace, who later told Rhodes, that she went to someplace where people could help her, and maybe them too. For a time, she had hope. But, one day, she saw her father hand one of the men that was helping her some official looking papers, and then some money. That was all it took for them to forget about her. She had given up hope, and accepted her life.

It was then Rhodes, and the rest of them knew that escape wasn’t an option.

Yet, they all eventually left the care of the man who bought them. That was because he was murdered by the youngest of them, younger by at least a decade, who had only been there for a week. The little scorpion faunus had killed him with a kitchen knife, stabbing and stabbing again and again as if it was for his own enjoyment. 

He, Ace, and the girl were the first ones to happen upon the scene, and came then his wife, an uncaring woman whom they barely ever saw. She screamed bloody murder, and he went for her next. Her cries echoed throughout, he blood pooled on the white floor, mixing with her husbands and her nightgown, worth more than what any of them were bought for, was reduced to shreds. They all stood there, and watched him kill her. But, they did nothing to stop it. Why would they? It wasn’t like they were going to risk their lives for her. 

When repeatedly impaling her corpse proved vapid to him, he looked up at the three of them with eyes that almost glowed like a Grimm’s. It was then they realized that they were also paralyzed by fear. When he lunged at the three of them, Ace was the first to act, grabbing Rhodes by the arm to flee. Quickly, he grabbed the girl and pulled her along. 

The three of them hurried up the nearby stairs and locked themselves into the closest open room: a storage room filled with some food, supplies, and other things. As the child stabbed the door and tried to burst in, Ace and Rhodes worked to block it with a dresser and some heavy boxes.

After finishing the barricade, after the pounding and stabbing stopped, Rhodes sank to the floor, his heart still racing, and he began to collect himself. Ace followed in suit. The girl was still in shock, still frozen in place.

“What, the fuck, just happened?” Ace exhaled with a stressed sigh.

“What’s gonna happen to us now?” Rhodes stressfully wondered as he buried his face in his hands.

“Mother… Father… ” the girl, eldest of them, whispered lowly so that no one would hear. 

They spent the rest of the night in that room, silent and unable to soundly fall asleep. However, they all gave in to fatigue eventually, and fell asleep. They don’t know what time it is when they are awoken by some shouting and a pounding on the door. Before they could respond, the door, boxes, and dresser are blasted away, revealing two women with weapons poised. They lowered them when they saw three scared teens.

They were brought out into the front, given blankets and warm food. They each explained what happened, that they heard screaming, and saw him being murdered by the young faunus. Then came the wife and her gruesome death, and then when he turned on them, they ran and barricaded themselves. Since their stories matched and all the evidence aligned, they were all declared innocent on the spot. 

“What’s going to happen to us?” Ace asked once the three of them reunited.

“Well,” one woman began, “since you two boys were adopted, and missy here is their biological child, all three of you split their wealth since there’s no will stating otherwise. And by the looks of it, all of you will be well off for quite some time.”

“If you want to see to it that you have a decent job, I suggest trying any one of the huntsman academies.” added the other woman. By then, there was a great number of people at the scene. “Vacuo and Mistral are strict with their ages, but _you_ might be able to try Beacon. Atlas will definitely accept you though.” she said, referring to Ace who was only 15.

Beacon… Rhodes had heard good praise about that place from the son of a family that once visited when he was younger. Helios, a falcon faunus with majestic wings, was his name. Rhodes quickly found himself enamoured with the boy with beautiful eyes like shining metal, stunning and dark sun-kissed skin, and warm orange hair like a fire on a cold night. They also kissed one night, and he remembers losing a shoe after quickly having to run back inside after being called in. He never saw him again. But now, he maybe could.

-

Ace had chosen to go to Atlas, eager to go far away. Rhodes would miss his friend with red hair and dark eyes, but they promised to see each other again someday. As for the girl, Rhodes did not know what she was going to do, nor what she ended up doing. But, he knew what he was doing.

With some help from the two huntresses, he filled out a request to speak with the headmaster. At 16, he was just too young to be able to enter, and he had no prior training either. So, he was directed to a grueling summer training program where he could quickly learn the basics. Surprisingly, he ran into someone unexpected: his dear acquaintance Helios.

During the summer, they reconnected, and learned much more about each other. Rhodes learned that the other is there at both of his fathers requests, stating that they thought it would be a good experience for him even if the huntsman life didn’t interest him. But, he began to start reconsidering it. He also learned that his full name was Helios Horakhty-Surya, and was the child of two legendary huntsmen known as The Great Destroyers of Grimm, thanks to their exploits in their heyday. Helios learned that Rhodes has had it pretty rough too, and promised to make sure that it wouldn' haappen happen again.

After the summer, they both successfully enter Beacon and officially join together as partners, in both senses of the word. There, Helios discovers his semblance: Epigeios Ilios. He can ignite his body to burst into flames, and shine so bright as to temporarily blind. The solar teen doesn’t say that he feels like bursting into flames whenever their hands touch, though it almost happens a few times. Rhode’s rare smiles are so bright he feels as if he must avert his gaze. Though, he never does. If he does indeed go blind, he knows he will be content with it being the last thing he sees. Rhodes feels much the same.

Rhodes discovers his semblance in a school-wide tournament. It is them two against another duo. All of their auras are low, and no one has yet to land a decisive hit. Rhodes notices that Helios might soon fall to his bladed opponent, and he won’t let that happen. Out of dust, he opts to toss his mace at his opponent. The maces connect, sending the bare fisted teen flying back, his aura broken. 

As he rushes, weaponless, to his partner, he figures he can take a hit and give Helios an opening. He is confident that they will win, but that evaporates when he sees his love’s aura dissipate. The opponent is too caught up in their combo to stop, and fear overtook Rhodes. He threw himself in between Helios and the blade. He expected his aura to break, but was met with the sound of metal hitting metal. He could feel the vibration of the ringing travel through his arm.

Stunned, the opponent tripped over his feet and fell backwards. Rhodes quickly reacted, and took advantage of the situation, delivering a heavy fist to his opponents face, breaking her aura and winning the match. Concerned, he rushed over to check on his lover to make sure he was alright.

Helios knew Rhodes would be there for him, and was more interested in his boyfriend’s newly unlocked semblance and the fact that they had won the match. Rhodes laughed. What else would he expect from his boyfriend? Advancing to the next round meant they could fight alongside one another again. As long as they were side by side, nothing else really mattered.

-

They both enjoy their travels together across Remnant, slaying Grimm and helping others. It is a fine way to live in their eyes. They are happy together and help others be happy. What more could they want? 

Eventually, their travels bring them to the almost inhospitable Atlas. Rhodes makes a mental note to visit more though. It gives him a good reason to cuddle with his hot boyfriend more than usual. There, he runs into an old friend. Rhodes was glad that Ace had become so successful and joyous in life. At the age of 27, Ace Opus was a Specialist who shone far above the rest, was married, and had a budding side career as a children’s fabulist, of all things.

They went on a double date down in Mantle, and enjoy a fresh, crisp night. As they are in the bar, Ace and Rhodes hear something on the TV that catches their attention; a scorpion faunus, convicted of numerous murders over the course of the past 12 years, had escaped while en route to his prison stay until his execution. It is no coincidence. His eyes are the same glowing yellow, like that of a Grimm.

They could hardly believe he was even still alive. But, there he was, still on the run, still killing, but still alive. Perhaps he was living a fate worse than death; a life without true freedom.

-

For many years, Rhodes had lived without Helios. Once they met again at the training camp, he couldn’t imagine a life without him. But, then comes a day where he doesn’t need to imagine it. He lives the nightmare he could never imagine. It should have been another routine Grimm clearing mission. It began like the others had, isolate the Grimm, make sure civilians were safe, etc. It was all the standard fare, until all the Grimm were slaughtered.

A lunatic who shook the earth, and rambled about his queen and how silver eyes were a nuisance to her, appeared unto them and felled the earthly vessel of the Sun. His lover then felled the earth-shaker in an act of furious revenge, destroying an evil unto the world.

Rhodes Horakhty-Surya, a man who only had one great weakness, had lost one great weakness. Rhodes Horakhty-Surya, a man who derived so much strength from the one he so dearly loved, had lost so much strength. 

The cold metal colossus cried, for he would never feel the calming warmth of his Sun again. 

-

Still, he continued to travel and kill Grimm across Remnant. It is what his love would have wanted him to do, and all he really knew what to do now. He had a pair of swords made in memory of Helios that would aid him in his destruction of the evil darkness. 

Eventually, his travels bring him back to Atlas. He arrives late at night, and very few places are unwilling to book someone without a reservation. He settles on a hotel in the lower end of Atlas, which is still leagues better off than even the richest of Mantle. He laments it, but knows it is nothing he can change. Over the years, he’s gained a bit of a reputation himself, and attracts a few fans now and then. 

While he’s waiting for his room to be prepared, he entertains a few people in the lobby with the swords he is always enthusiastic to show off. In the corner of his eyes, he notes a young girl eyeing them. He feels that she is in a situation he is familiar with. It all but confirmed when she trips and falls, and her “mother” cruelly berates her.

Later, when one of the swords goes missing, he had a feeling he knew who took them. He searched in the recesses of the hotel, where the owner was unlikely to ever go, where the girl would surely find refuge. His old memories prove useful, and he finds the girl who was “adopted” in a storage room. How sad it is that such a practice continues, but he knows it is a system he cannot stop. 

He knows he can give her a shot at freedom, and that she can't find freedom in running away or hurting them. An academy is her best bet, and he takes it upon himself to train her. Only seven years, and she can be truly free, not bound to any cruel people. He only wishes it could be sooner.

He also knows he can’t stay with her forever in the hotel. It is another source of lamentation. Still, he wants to help her as much as he can and ends up crashing at Ace’s place frequently and taking nearby jobs from the military just so he can have an excuse to frequent a place he would otherwise never frequent. 

There is something in her that reminds him of his Sun. Over the years, he sees that she is much different from him. However, seeing her happy makes him happy. She is like Helios in that regard. There is also a fire in her, a resolve he had seen in his love in their early years at Beacon.

She doesn’t talk much about her adopted mother or sisters. He doesn’t blame her. He still has trouble talking about his past. But, he assures her she can tell him whatever she wants, and that he will listen. Still, she focuses on training more than anything.

He tells her stories of his past, of slaying Grimm, and of the many beautiful places he visited. She said she would like to visit the deserts of Vacuo, since it seemed nice and warm. He softly chuckled. He just so happened to like Vacuo too. The sand felt good on his skin.

However, he never mentions Helios, or the one he killed. He never told anyone that he killed the earth-shaker. He still feared what would happen to him if anyone found out, even if it was self-defense and an act of revenge. 

-

“ _I don’t have to run now._ ”

“ _That’s all you’ll ever do._ ” 

He regrets that he failed her, that this world failed her. Now, he knows he must uphold the rules of this world, and capture this young killer. He wonders where he went wrong. He had done all the things he thought he should, things that were said to be good. Yet, he is, fighting the little girl he cares for more than anyone. _What did I do wrong?_

As he fights her, he tries to not hurt her severely. He doesn’t want to hurt her. But, he sees that he taught her well, and finds that she has both of the swords. She burns him, with her searing flames, much like he once did on accident. But, she is ferocious, almost feral. She is desperate. His experience triumphs, and he knocks her out. He drops his weapons and rushes over to her, hoping she isn’t too hurt. 

For all weakness, there is strength, and for all strength, there is weakness. This new strength was not the kind that would save him. This new weakness was the kind that could end him, and it did. 

Two swords through his abdomen, and he knows his end is soon. Still, he is glad that she will be the last thing he sees. He sees that he had done so many things wrong. All the signs were there, and yet… he ignored them, in favor of being able to ignore his own sad past. All he was ever doing was running. This little girl was not running like he was. There is more to this world than a singular ideal of freedom, an ideal he bound himself to. He understands that now. 

He places a hand on the girl, and tries to smile one last time. She is not someone who will be forever running away at least. For that, he is thankful. He only hopes that she can still live a good life, some way, somehow. He doesn’t think she will, but he still hopes so.

She yanks out the swords, and he falls to the ground. As his vision begins to blur, and life loosens its grip on him, he holds nothing against Cinder. From the moment they met, this fate was inevitable. Fate was a concept she loved to talk to him about. Even as his vision fades, the moon behind Cinder shines brighter and brighter, like that of the Sun.

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read my other works, you know how this is gonna go. Alright, first, Hamelin. Reference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. I have more plans for that in the future. And as we all know, Rhodes = Rhodopis, earliest version of Cinderella. She was a slave, alongside Aesop possibly, and maybe had a fling together, who married the King of Egypt because an Eagle brought him her sandal. Man, foot fetishes are old. adjhfkjs I'm sorry. Anyways, that's why I had Ace, who should invoke the colors of playing cards: red, white, and black. Ace Opus, because its kinda sounds like Aesop. I like to think he inspired the creation of the Ace Ops. And now Helios Horakhty-Surya. Helios, invoking the image of the sun, and name of the Greek sun god whom the Colossus of Rhodes is depicting. (Also, Rhodos, goddess / personification of the Island of Rhodes and wife of Helios.) Surya, Hindu god of the sun, name also means sun, and also weilds a staff/wand, hence the weapon. Also a dispeller of darkness, to tie onto the whole Grimm destroyer aspect, and Hindu equivalent of Helios. Horakhty, reference to Ra-Horakhty. Ra-Horakhty is the merge of Ra, sun god, and Horus, god of kingship and the sky who the Pharaoh is in life, to tie into Rhodopis marrying the Pharaoh. And then the unnamed earth-shaker. The Colossus of Rhodes was felled by an earthquake. Poseidon was the god of earthquakes, which is why the earth-shaker wields a trident. So, in a sense, Helios himself fell. The Colossus was not re-erected because the Oracle of Delphi said the statue angered Helios. So at the end, Cinder is like Helios, condemning the colossus to its eternal rest, having fallen from greatness. Most of the info I got was from Wikipedia, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcx-u4u1SE is a nice video on the Colossus. Thank god that's done. Now I can talk about nonsense! I know we joke about the Ironwood iron wood, but now we have Rhodes, who can canonically make his dick metal. Food for thot... (Man, too bad he's dead. I'd like me some of that metal DILF dick, Yummy!) I am so sorry the notes are so long, and for the previous sentences. Thank you for reading this, and for putting up with me.


End file.
